Documentary backdrop image for Tenebrio molitor (2020)

Documentary backdrop image for Tenebrio molitor (2020)

20205 minGdoc-short

Tenebrio molitor

20205 minGdoc-short

10 quintillion insects inhabit the planet, including yellow mealworms that can digest Styrofoam and convert it into carbon and hydrogen.

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Synopsis

10 quintillion insects inhabit the planet, including yellow mealworms that can digest Styrofoam and convert it into carbon and hydrogen.

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Erin Espeliedirector

Synopsis

A.R. Ammons, author of Garbage: A Poem, and baculovirologist Lois Miller provide context for the role of insects in the ecosystem. Tenebrio molitor, commonly known as yellow mealworms, are darkling beetle larvae capable of digesting Styrofoam. Their gut microbiome breaks down plastic waste into carbon and hydrogen. With an estimated 10 quintillion insects on Earth, these creatures contribute to decomposition and renewal, contrasting with human tendencies toward accumulation.

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